Finding Myself
by Arya Rocks
Summary: In a world where Rosemarie Hathaway is abused by her father, and watches as her father abuses her mother also, she must learn what true inner strength means. She must find herself before she is consumed by her father's fury and laws. Will she stand up? Or will she back down, and allow her father to continue his abuse? Follow Rosemarie as she takes her path to find herself.
1. Prelude

**A/N (1): Hello fellow readers and writers! Here is a new story I'm penning out! This one is a VA fanfic! I have been inspired by many different fanfics on this site. Also, I'm inspired by the books! I love them very much! I hope you enjoy my prologue! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy! All rights belong to Richelle Mead! No infringement is intended! I do not make any money off publishing this! It is merely written for my pleasure and your viewing pleasure! Please take note of this! I only own the plot and whatever characters I introduce that wasn't in the original series! **

**Anyways here's my newest story to devour!**

**Quote: **_"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered."__~ Michael J. Fox_

**Prologue: A Peek Into Hell**

She watched as her father raised his meaty fist. A sound of skin meeting skin broke the silence. She was huddled into a dark corner. Her mother had told her to hide away there. That way dad wouldn't see her and come after her.

The little girl had no clue why her dad did this to her mother. Her mother didn't do anything wrong. She had dinner made before dad arrived, making sure it was warm. She thought her mother's dinner tasted perfectly fine. Her dad didn't share the same view though.

He had taken one bite before he spat it back onto his plate. "This is disgusting!" he shouted, banging his clenched fists onto the wooden table. "I expected better tasting food than this trash!" Dad's chair flew back when he stood up, a furious expression marking his face. His lips were in a thin line, and his cheeks were flushed.

"I am tired of you cooking trash. We are not slaves or scrum. I make enough money for you to cook a nice dinner. I work my ass off at work to provide us with a nice home. All I expect is a warm, well cooked dinner when I come home. All I receive is terribly cooked food. I will not stand for this!" Father moved toward mother.

Mother's eyes landed on her precious little girl. She read her mother's eyes, and quickly stole away to the dark corner where she would quietly observe the scene that was coming.

Her father's fist connected with her mother's left cheek. Her mother's head snapped to the side from the violent punch. "I will not tolerate disgusting food. I want a well cooked dinner when I come home! That isn't too much to ask for. However, I'm starting to think it is too much to ask for out of you!" Her father screamed in unbidden rage. His face was blood red. His hands were raised for another blow.

The little girl watched as her father beat her mother. She watched as her father pounded into her mother's prone body. He didn't stop. He kept on going, kept on beating her. "I will beat this undesirable trait out of you!" He father yelled, believing that beating his wife would lodge this disgusting trait out of her body.

After what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes, did her father stop his beating. The little girl noticed her mother was the floor, like usual. Her mother was curled up into herself. Her father towered over her mother, his mouth set in a harsh line.

Her father shook his head in pure contempt. "I will be away for the night. I'm going to grab me some real food from the bar, maybe catch a good blood whore to have fun with." Her father grabbed his coat off the coat rack, before walking out the door and slamming it shut behind him.

Her mother's sobs were now pouring out. The little girl cautiously made her way over to where her mother lay. She studied her mother as sobs racked her mother's body.

"Mom?" She asked, but received no answer. "Mom?" She questioned again, this time with a pleading note.

Her mother seemed to snap back to reality at her daughter's tone of voice. She regained her composure, halting the quaking of her body. She quietened her sobbing, not wanting her daughter to witness her at her lowest point.

Tears still trailed down her mother's face. The little girl reached out with a trembling hand to wipe them away. "I'm sorry mom," the little girl voiced.

"You have no reason to be sorry. It's my fault, not yours." Her mother countered her statement instantly. She opened her mouth to disagree, but her mother cut her off. "I shall hear no arguing of this." Her mother's voice was harsh, so the little girl knew not to continue.

The little girl studied her mother's face. Her left cheek was puffy. Her nose was gushing out blood. Her top lip had a little blood seeping out of it. She knew her mother would have bruises tomorrow when she came down for breakfast.

"I wish I could something," the little girl uttered in helplessness. She wished she could take her mother's pain away.

Her mother suddenly had emotion in her eyes that she couldn't place. "No, you do not. Never wish that." Her mother said heatedly. "I will hear nothing of the sort out of your mouth again, understand me?" Her mother spoke coldly. Her eyes bored into her daughter's own eyes.

"Yes ma'am," was the girl's soft reply. She knew it was pointless to argue with her mother. Her mother always won their fights.

"Good." Her mother placed her lips against her daughter's cheek, giving her a light kiss. She wiped the blood that was smeared there away, before attempting to stand up. Her body felt light, but her husband had only hit her face. Her body faced no punishment from his abusive hands. She was happy her husband didn't pound into her body, or she wouldn't have been able to stand up.

"Come, time for you to go to bed." She grabbed her little girl's hand, leading her up the stairs to her bedroom.

She tucked her daughter into her bed. "Goodnight, sweet dreams." Her mother spoke, patting her cheek affectionately. "I love you so very much." Her mother smiled, eyes shining with love. She gave one last soft pat on her daughter's cheek before standing up. Before leaving the room, her mother turned around. "Sweet dreams," was all she said before shutting the door quietly behind her.

The little girl wasn't about to go to sleep. She was still too awake from what had occurred earlier downstairs. She merely sat in her bed though, waiting for sleepiness to overtake her.

Finally, after an hour, sleepiness claimed her little body. Her head hit the pillow. She was soon out like a light.

**A/N (2): Yes, it was short! The chapters will be longer though! I always write short preludes! I just like to do that! **

**This story is about Rose, it does have the vampire world in it. It's not all human, maybe a few humans will pop up. I'm not decided on that however. Rose is still a dhampir! Lissa is still a Moroi! So, nothing has really changed on that level. Everything else, though, might be a little to completely different! You'll just have to read to find out!**

**Please stay tuned to find out more! Hope you all liked it! Leave me some feedback! I love feedback, and I answer to all my reviewers! **

**Fellow VA lover,**

**Arya Rocks**


	2. Chapter 1: The Truth is Revealed

**A/N (1): Well, I decided to update since I didn't have anything better to do. Here's a new chapter for you guys! This should answer a question my reviewer had, well sort of!**

**Quote: "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." ~Helen Keller**

**Chapter 1: The Truth is Revealed**

An eight-year old Rosemarie sat on her twin size bed. Her knees were pulled into her stomach, and her face was buried into her legs. Her long dark brown, almost black, hair covered her face. She rocked back and forth gently. Her cries muffled because her mouth was squashed against her legs.

A few seconds later, she heard the distinct sound of her bedroom door being opened. She didn't move. A hand touched her shoulder softly. Rose then knew it was her mother, not her father.

She felt the bed dipped as her mother joined her on the bed. Two arms wrapped themselves around her. Her head twisted, resting inside the crook of her mother's neck.

"It's okay, shhh," her mother soothed her. "I'm here, baby." Her mother assured her, rocking along with her daughter.

The little girl couldn't stop sobbing. Her body was racked with sobs. They only had grown in volume when her mother joined her. "…."

"What was that?" Her mother asked, not catching what her daughter had muttered into her neck. "I couldn't understand you."

The little girl lifted her face up. Her tear-stained face was leveled with her mother's face. "Why does father do that?" The little girl asked in an innocent voice. She truly couldn't fathom why her father would do such horrible things. He claimed he loved her mother. That didn't look like love to her.

"He is just stressed." Her mother said, defending her father. "I should know better than to do such a foolish thing." Her mother berated herself, sounding mad.

The little girl flinched back at her mother's tone. Her mother noticed it instantly. "Sorry, baby," she crooned to her daughter, hugging her tightly.

"Will he do that to me?" Her daughter asked, looking frightened.

Her mother's body stiffened. "No, definitely not." Her mother refused to pay attention to the mental imagine her daughter's sentence had conjured. "I will not allow it." The little girl felt her mother's arms tighten their hold.

"I want to take some of your pain." The child said with a determined look etched into her face. Her eyes were lit with fire. "I can handle it. I'm eight years old now!" The child's voice rose at the end.

Her mother's eyes were suddenly alight with their own fire. "No, you will not! Stop speaking of such things!" Her mother's tone was harsh.

Rose recalled what happened two years ago. She had been six when that incident happened. She had confessed to her mother that she wished she could do something. Her mother had said something close to what she had just spoken. How she never wanted to hear such words out of her daughter's mouth again. Rose decided that rule needed to be broken.

"Yes, I will!" She shouted into her mother's face.

Her mother shot off the bed. Her mother's body towered over her. Her mother's face became level with hers, blue eyes boring into brown ones. "No, you will not." Her mother's voice was deadly calm. Rose knew she was in for it.

"You have no right to tell me what to do! You're not my real mother!" Rose knew that was a harsh blow. She felt bad when she saw her mother flinch before a look of complete hurt washed over her features.

"As far as I'm concerned, I am your mother." Her mother said around the lump in her throat. She hated it when Rose brought that subject up. She loved the little girl in front of her like she was her own child. Knowing that she wasn't, and Rose wasn't afraid to point that fact out, hurt her deeply. She desired children, and Rose had finally arrived on her doorstep.

The day she found her daughter on the other side of her door was one of the happiest days of her life. She had found a child that required her to survive. Nobody could tear the little girl away from her. Rose was hers.

Rose knew not to say anything else. She would receive a slap on the cheek if she did. Rose didn't like it when her mom slapped her, but she knew it was to teach her a lesson. That's why father hit her mother, to teach her a lesson. Rose figured it was normal for people to beat each other when they were upset with one another.

Her mother assumed Rose wasn't going to say anything else smart. "I 'm going to make us a snack. What would you like?" She figured her daughter was hungry, seeing how their breakfast meal was cut short.

Rose just turned away from her. She watched her daughter with sad eyes. "Okay, then," was all she said. "Come down when you're ready." She left her little girl alone with those words. Her mother would hold on making her daughter a snack until she came downstairs. You never knew what that little girl would want to eat.

Rose watched as her mother left. Once the bedroom door was closed, Rose hopped off the bed. Stomping her feet in frustration, she hoped her mother wouldn't come rushing back in.

Rose was shocked when her mother admitted to her that she wasn't Rose's real mother. Her mother told her how she discovered her on her doorstep one morning. Rose had no idea who her real parents were.

Rose glanced into the mirror. She observed herself. Her mother and she were complete opposites. Her mother had silk blond hair, and dark blue eyes. Her mother was pale as ghost and skinner than a stick. Rose, though, had tanned skin, and a thicker body.

Her mother explained to her that she was dhampir. Her mother was a moroi though. She told Rose she was meant to protect moroi. That had Rose opening a can of worms about protecting her mother then. If she was a dhampir, and her mother a moroi, then it was her duty to protect her mother. Her mother had anticipated this though, and easily dodged it. Her mother told her how she wasn't old enough to protect her. That she needed to be seventeen at least to protect a moroi. Rose was put out by this.

Her mother also explained that moroi had magical powers. That some could control the five elements. Naturally they were earth, fire, water, and air. Her mother had confessed that there was another element that very few people were aware of. Rose asked her what it was, her mother refused to answer the question. Rose was left with a burning curiosity after that discussion.

After discussing that her father was a moroi also, didn't help matters. Rose was terrified she wouldn't be allowed to touch him; seeing how he was person she was supposed to protect. It drove Rose mad thinking about it. It made no sense to her. Her young mind couldn't wrap around it. However, she would find a solution she grew older.

Rose casted one last glance at herself, before climbing onto the ledge that was connected to her window. She looked through the window's glass, leaning against her cushion. She grabbed a book that was thrown on the other end of the cushioned ledge. She picked it up. A tattered copy of their world's history sat in her lap. Her mother had given this to her after explaining about their world. Rose was excited beyond measure when she opened it up.

She had given her mother an exuberant hug. Rose had practically bounced on her toes for the rest of that day. She was happy to learn more about her mysterious world. Her mother had left a lot of her questions unanswered. She was hoping to dig some new information out of this book.

She flipped to the page that was dog-eared. Her eyes scanned over the book, absorbing all the new information that her brain picked out. She was rather interested in a moroi dubbed Saint Vladimir. She was also captivated by his shadow-kissed Anna. She had no idea what shadow-kissed meant, but she was hoping she would find later on down the book.

She wasn't halfway done with the thick, heavy book. It contained over three hundred pages. She was just now starting page ninety-six. She had a long road of reading ahead of her. Rose continued to sit in silence and read. She had reached page one-hundred-and twenty before her stomach rumbling caught her attention.

_Mom did mention a snack_, she thought to herself. She didn't want to confront her mother, but knew she had to in order to eat. She placed the book in front of her before standing up. She looked outside the window; her father's car was still missing. That was a good sign.

She exited her bedroom. She entered the kitchen. It was painted a cheery yellow. The cabinets were wooden, a dark brown color. The counter-tops were granite, a greyish color. Her mother sat at their dark dinner table. A cup of steaming tea was placed in front of her. Her mother had the newspaper in her grasp. She picked up the tea, sipping at it carefully. Rose thought she didn't notice her. She jumped ten feet in the air when her mother's voice sounded.

"Got hungry, didn't you?" Her mother questioned, sounding a tad amused. Rose turned around to peer at her mother, feeling like she had been caught with her hand down the cookie jar before supper.

"Yes ma'am." Her mother stood, making her way toward her daughter.

"Well, let's put some food in that hungry tummy." Her mother hand's tickled her stomach. She laughed at the feeling.

"Stop, it tickles," she complained to her mother. Her mother merely chuckled before tickling her harder. "Stop, stop!" She cried out in between her laughter. Her mother was laughing along with her.

"Okay, okay," her mother said, halting her tickling assault. Rose finally felt like she could breathe properly. "What would you like?" Her mother said, searching through the cabinets at the same time. "Oh, how about a fresh apple?" Her mother caught sight of the bowl holding apples on the counter. Her mother had a thing about eating healthy. Rose wasn't happy about that.

Rose loved apples though, and her mother exploited that weakness whenever given the chance. Rose nodded her head frantically, a look of glee entering her eyes.

Rose's mother grinned at her. She grabbed an apple, and pulled a knife out of the drawer. She began peeling her daughter's apple, sending glances at her little girl. Rose watched her mother's hands as they worked the knife, peeling the apple perfectly.

"Go sit," her mother commanded, motioning to a chair. Rose did as she asked.

A bowl was placed in front of her, apple slices filling it up. Rose began to munch happily on her treat. Her mother watched her with amused eyes. She never understood why Rose loved apples so much. It was funny how something so simple made her daughter so happy. It warmed her heart to see her daughter so full of glee.

"That good?" Rose only managed a small smile before digging back into her apples. She accepted her daughter's smile of approval.

Rose cleaned all of the apple slices out of the bowl. She smacked her lips together when she swallowed the last bite. "Thank you, mom," Rose said, sending her mother a smile that showed all her teeth.

"You are so welcome sweetie," she replied a smile forming on her face also.

"What are we going to do today?" Her little girl refused to sit still for long. It was a relief she could sit and read the book she had given her for such a time period.

"I thought we might go for a walk. I know you haven't been outside for a while." Plus, it was nighttime. She knew her husband wouldn't be walking through their door until dawn. She might as well let Rose and her out of the house for a little bit. Her poor daughter had been cooped up here for a week straight. She was surprised the little girl hadn't lost her mind yet.

"Yay!" Rose screamed out in joy. She pumped her arms into the air in joy. "I'll go put on my coat!" She yelled, running up the stairs to grab the mentioned coat.

Her mother watched her daughter dash up the stairs with a fond smile. She chuckled at her daughter's antics. It was never a dull day with Rose around. She was a little spitfire. She knew that it would put her daughter in danger in a few years. Rose had no control over her emotions.

Her mother would have to teach her some control. She couldn't afford her baby getting in a rough spot because of her issues with self-control. It could cost her daughter her life. That was something she wanted to never witness. She wouldn't allow her daughter to die because of poor self-control. She would teach her daughter to not let her emotions cloud her judgment. It was crucial she learned this survival technique. For now, however, she would indulge her little girl any way possible. She would sorely miss her bright sun when she enrolled her at St. Vladimir's. A school specifically for their world only, humans didn't attend there. Humans weren't allowed to.

Rose soon came thundering back downstairs, this time with a coat on her body. "I'm ready!" Her daughter announced excitedly, spinning around in a circle to show off her coat.

"Okay, let me grab my stuff and we can go." Rose followed her mother. After she retrieved her own coat, and purse, she looked at her daughter. "Let's go." Her daughter cheered at her words.

Her daughter dashed ahead of her as they left the house. She made sure it was locked up before following her hyped up daughter. This was sure to be an interesting walk.

**A/N (2): Well, I hoped you liked it! Yeah, I updated kind of fast! Trust me, this won't happen often! You can go ask any of reviewers from Captured- my Inheritance Cycle fic-about my updating schedule and how rare it is for this to occur! Rose was six in the prelude. She's eight in this one! I'll be doing two year time skips until we reach age sixteen! That's when the real story begins! Yes, Rose will be attending St. Vlad's! It's kind of crucial that she goes there! **

**No, I don't have an update schedule. I update when I have time! g**

**Now, I would like to thank my two reviewers!**

**Leopardpath Lightwood: Thank you! I don't update frequently! I write for my own pleasure. It relaxes me. Trust me when I say an update this quick is EXTREMELY RARE! I'll try to update this story at least once a month. I make no promises though! Thank you for your review! I hope you continue to stick with this story!**

**XxXLittle-VampXxX: Yeah, it's like that lol Except, Rose won't be kicking her dad's ass at a young age. She'll have to grow up a lot before she does that. She's still feisty, but she'll be a little more subdued than what she was in the series! Thank you for reviewing! Hope you stayed tune to see how this story plays out!**

**Thanks to my two reviewers! Means a lot when people comment on my story! Like I said, I love feedback! **

**A thanks to whoever follows or favorites this story! Thank you for your support! I hope y'all continue to give it!**

**See ya later,**

**Arya Rocks **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N (1): Sorry, been a while since I've updated. I warned you about how horrible I was about it! I'm preparing to ship off to college. I'm really excited! I'll be a freshie! Anyways, without further ado, here's the newest installment! Hope you like it!**

**Quote: "****The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.****" ~Jonas Salk **

**Chapter 2: The Promotion and Out to Dinner**

Rose squatted by her toy chest. Her hand was buried deep in it, moving around. She was searching for her favorite stuffed animal. It was gift her mother had given her when she was three years old. It wasn't anything special. It looked more run-down than anything. Rose hauled that animal with her everywhere almost. She loved it to death.

Pulling her arm out, she grinned in victory. A stuffed dog was being clutched by in her right fist. She hugged the dog tightly, sighing in content. The dog was dubbed as 'Scruffy' a fitting name indeed. That dog looked old and worn-down. One ear was almost completely ripped off. The dog had patches where the fake fur used to be. The tail appeared to be chewed on. It even had an eye missing.

Rose's mother never understood why her daughter had taken so fondly to the gross, stuffed animal. She left it alone though, she knew Rose would only cry if she tried to take that dog away. She had done it once and it had been a disaster. Rose had thrown a fit. Rose's mother had no idea what a set of lungs Rose harbored.

Rose had kicked and screamed. She said her mommy couldn't take Scruffy away. She loved Scruffy and he was staying. Rose's mother had decided to just put up with it. She didn't need another temper tantrum like that ever again.

Rose turned and stared at her mother. "I found him, mommy!" She cried in childish glee, grinning ear to ear. "Scruffy wasn't lost." She hugged the roughed up dog again.

"Of course not, sweetie," Rose's mother agreed, smiling fondly at her daughter. "I doubt you could ever lose him." She knew how important that stupid animal was to her daughter.

"I hope I never have to find out the answer to that." Rose said seriously. "Never do that again. You stay besides me at all times, Scruffy." Her daughter said to the lifeless animal. Rose even waggled her finger in front of the dog's face. It was a pretty comical sight.

"I doubt he got himself lost," Rose's mother said with a chuckle.

"I think he did," her daughter retorted. Her mother didn't comment.

Rose suddenly dived into her mother's lap. "Can we read a story?" She asked her mother.

"Not right now." Rose's bottom lip started to quiver. "No, don't you dare give me that face." Her mother warned. She knew she would be defeated if Rose gave her 'the face'.

"Please," Rose begged. She knew her mother would cave soon enough.

"I said no." Rose's mother made sure her voice was much sterner. Rose would learn when she said no, she meant it. No more giving into her pouty face.

"Okay," Rose relented. She climbed off her mother's lap, and pouted to the other side of the living room. "When's dad coming home?" She asked curiously. She needed to know when to go hide in her room. She didn't like it when dad came home. She actually began to hate it. She prayed he would never come home. That he would die in some terrible accident.

"I don't know," her mother answered truthfully. She also hoped that wicked man wouldn't be returning tonight. Maybe he found a blood-whore to cozy up with.

There hopes were dashed moments after Rose's mother spoke. They heard a bang as the front door closed. "I'm home!" A deep voice boomed.

Rose's mother stood up immediately. "Welcome home, dear," she gushed to her husband. She even pecked the man on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"It was all right. The office was slow enough. Not much stress at all today. It was a good day." He said, smiling brightly.

Rose studied her father. His eyes were clear, showing he hadn't been drinking. His blond hair was well-kept, not messy like it usually was when he came home. His white, button-up shirt had no wrinkles in it. It was still tucked into his charcoal colored pants. His brown, Italian leather shoes were spotless. His briefcase was neatly tucked into the crook of his armpit.

"That's good," her mother said. Rose knew there wasn't going to be any violence tonight. Her father hadn't been drinking. Plus, he had a good day at work. That meant he would be nice company tonight. Rose wouldn't have to sneak up to her room.

"How's my little girl," he cooed in Rose's direction.

Rose ran and hugged him tightly. She wouldn't be the one to ruin his good mood. Rose hated hugging her father. He always smelled like booze. It wasn't a pleasant scent. Also, her mother gave nodded her head in encouragement. "I'm good, daddy." She replied. "I've missed you." The lie slipped out of her mouth easily. Rose never missed her father. She was relieved when he was gone.

"I've missed you too, princess." Her father said, as he scooped her up into his arms. He gave her a sloppy kiss on the forehead. "I have a surprise for us tonight." He said excitedly, grinning at his family. "I thought we would go out and eat."

That was a shock in this household. They rarely went out and ate. Rose's mother was usually covered in too many bruises for them to go out. Father didn't want to explain what happened, he wanted his crime kept under the radar.

"Yay," Rose squealed, excited about eating out. This made her night much more appealing. She was happy her father had decided to go out and eat.

"Why don't my two beautiful ladies get ready?" He questioned, setting Rose down on the floor again.

Her mother nodded, picking Rose up. "We'll go get ready right now. It shouldn't take us long. What kind of attire?"

"Formal, we're eating at a fancy restaurant tonight." Her father mumbled, sauntering into the kitchen. That was the end of that conversation.

They both went upstairs. Rose's mother entered Rose's room. "Let's see what you got," her mother hummed to herself. She quickly shifted through Rose's closest. "Here we go," she muttered, pulling out something.

A black and white dress was held in her hands. The dress was all black while white trimmed it. It had a white bow on the back, between the shoulder blades. The bottom had white lace attached to it. It was a very cute dress.

Rose quickly stripped out of her day clothes. She tugged the dress on with her mother's assistance. After finishing, Rose looked at herself in the mirror. She looked adorable. The black and white stood out against her dark skin.

"I love it!" Rose proclaimed diving into her mother's waiting arms.

"I do too," her mother agreed, holding her daughter tightly. Rose squirmed out her mother's iron-clad hug.

"Let's go find you something, mommy," Rose said eagerly, tugging her mother's hand. Rose's mother merely chuckled in amusement, before allowing herself to be led to her bedroom.

Rose's mother had picked out a mint-green dress. It hugged her mother's curves, showing them off. Her mother was beautiful. She put on some strappy black heels. Rose's feet had been shoved into white flats. "You looked gorgeous, mommy," Rose breathed out in awe. She wished she was as beautiful as her mother when she grew up.

Rose's mother leaned over and kissed the crown of her daughter's head. "Thank you baby," she whispered into Rose's hair. Rose couldn't see the tears that had gathered in her mother's eyes.

"Time to go!" Her father yelled. "Are you two ready?"

"We're coming down now," her mother replied at a lower tone. She knew her husband would hear it. There wasn't any need to shout. There hearing was sharper than any human's.

They quickly went downstairs. He was waiting for them. He smiled in approval. "You both look lovely," he complimented, twirling her mother about with his arm. His eyes slid down to Rose's body. "Oh, you look adorable, princess." He said, kissing her on the cheek once again.

_He sure was in a kissy mood_, Rose thought to herself. Father herded them out the door. They climbed into his shiny, sliver car. Rose felt the engine come to life, and they took off. Her father sped down the roads with ease. He skillfully handled the car's wheel.

Stopping at a red light, her mother asked the question Rose had been wanting to voice. "Where are we going?" She asked softly, not wanting to set her husband off. Her husband was ill-tempered, and was easily set off by the tiniest of things. He sure was a hot-head.

"I was thinking the small, Italian restaurant would be perfect." Rose's father replied, sounding excited. He wasn't a man who was easily excited. Something was up, that was for certain. Her mother had a hint of disbelief on her face at her father's giddy tone.

"Yes, it most certainly sounds lovely," her mother said quietly, the shock still running in her system. "What has you all eager this evening?" Mother asked the other question Rose desired to know.

She perceived how her father's excited glint left his eyes. His mouth was suddenly set in a very tight, straight line. He didn't appear pleased with that question. "Do I have to have some ulterior motive to be happy about something?" His voice held any undercurrent of anger.

Rose's mother quickly backpedaled. "No, of course not."

Father seemed satisfied with that response. That creepy grin was back in full force. "I thought so. Anyways, to answer your rather rude question." Father paused for a few seconds, seeming to think. "I got a promotion at work. They decided I was perfect for the new position. It was a huge pay increase. I also get to work less hours. That means more time to spend with my wonderful family." He grabbed mom's hand and kissed it on the back. Mom's face started to flush. It took everything in Rose not to groan in misery at the 'joyful' news.

If father worked less hours, that meant he had more time to torment her mother. Rose didn't want that. She was happy father worked such long hours. He didn't have time to beat up her mother too often. Maybe working fewer hours will actually help calm his temper. Maybe he'll be a lot kinder and not beat Rose's mother up.

Rose was pleading whoever was above that would be the case. She didn't need her father beating her mother up more constantly. She doubted her mother could handle that much abuse.

Her father's voice interrupted her musing. "I figured we could go out and celebrate." He smiled a bright smile. Rose's father was handsome, Rose wouldn't argue with that. He could be nice when he wanted to be. Rose was just terrified he would shift back to 'mean' daddy. His mood swings gave her a headache.

"I'm so happy you received that promotion. You earned it, honey." Her mother cooed. She gave her husband a peck on the cheek. "I'm more than happy to celebrate it with you." Her mother gushed, pouring on the charm thickly. Hopefully to dispel any chance of father shooting off like a rocket. Father was pretty horrifying when set off. "Isn't that right, Rosie?" Her mother asked her.

Rose knew her mother knew how much she loathed that nickname. However, since her dad had invented it-not very original mind you-she called her that when he was around. "Right," Rose agreed instantly. She didn't want her dad roaring into a furious fit either. She wanted this evening to go perfect. She wanted father to be happy. Rose also wanted her mother to enjoy this night out. Even though they had to tread carefully around her father, they were still looking forward to this night out. They haven't been to a restaurant in a while. They were both excited for the chance to eat out.

The rest of the drive was spent with her mother and father conversing in soft tones. Rose just contented herself with staring out the car window.

She lulled to sleep by the purring of the car's engine. _I hope tonight goes without a hitch, _was Rose's thought as she fell into a sleep as her father drove them to the restaurant.

**A/N (2): Well, I hoped you enjoyed it! These are just filler chapters, to be honest! Rose was ten in this chapter! Next one she'll be twelve! So just two more chapters before the story begins rolling! Please bear with me! I promise it will be worth it! **

**Now, onto my two reviewers! **

**XxLittle-Bad-GirlXxX: Thanks for reviewing, again! I'm proud you like my writing style! I believe I haven't developed my own distinctive style yet. I'm still drabbling around! I will give you a spoiler! Rose's mother, the one she is currently with, isn't Janie! However, Janie is Rose's biologically mother! We'll more about that later on in the story! I'm happy you read it again! I hope you continue to like my story and writing style!**

**RoseLissaBelikova: Welcome to Finding Myself! I hope you enjoy the ride! I'm happy my story is well-written! Happy you think it has a lot of promise! Oh, I can assure you Dimitri will not be like that at all. I will quell your worries right now. I don't really like badboy/playboy Dimitri. I'm not a huge fan of that. I'm more interested in canon Dimitri! However, this is AU, so my Dimitri might be different. I'm undecided at the moment!**

**Thank you to my two reviewers! You guys made my day! Please continue to leave me feedback! It's great motivation for us authors! Thank you to all who follow or favorite this story! You guys are important also!**

**Now, onto something serious! I haven't decided the pairings in this story! So, here are three options you guys can choose on! Please leave your vote in the review! Or, if you feel uncomfortable, shoot me a PM with your vote! **

**Here are your options:**

**Rose/Dimitri: I like this pairing because it's simple. Plus, it sticks with the canon story! I'm a fan of Rose/Dimitri being a couple! I always thought they were good together!**

**Rose/Adrian: I like this pairing because it's not as popular as Rose/Dimitri. I always adored Adrian. He was really good to Rose. Plus, I love his character! He would be fun to write!**

**Rose/Lissa: I like this pairing also. No, I'm not gay. I'm perfectly straight. I just believe this pairing isn't touched on much. Mead left a lot of potential for these two to be more than friends. I figured they deserve to be observed in a romantic light! This pairing would be challenging for me to write. However, I adore a challenge! I always thought Rose and Lissa would make a cute couple. **

**Those are your three options! Voting will be closed when the real story begins! So you have two chapters to cast your vote! **

**Thanks to all of you who vote! It is very much appreciated! I can't decide between these three pairings, so I figured I would let you, the readers, decide for me! Once again, thank you for voting! Please do so!**

**Hurry up and vote,**

**Arya Rocks **


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